5 Family-Friendly Getaways from New York City
Living in an urban center like New York City comes with its own unique set of challenges in the COVID-19 world, especially for broods cooped up in tight living quarters. So when it gets to the point where the kids are (literally) climbing the apartment walls, you know it’s time to take a family breather. Of course, thanks to the pandemic, those daydream jaunts to Paris or Papeete aren’t happening anytime soon, but parents know that a real vacation is one that entails significantly less schlep (and expense) when factoring in the little ones. Happily, there are several destination resorts tailor-made for families—think, activities galore, kid-friendly accommodations and dining, and staff well-versed in meeting the needs and wants of pint-sized guests—within a 2.5-hour drive of the city.
From the Poconos to the Catskills, these close-to-home, year-round retreats do brisk business in the quick family escape. Most are all-inclusive, so you can skip the hand-in-your-pocket workout, too. Plus, all of the properties are taking coronavirus safety seriously, with new standard practices like enhanced hygiene and sanitation measures; enforcement of masks and social distancing; significantly reduced hotel occupancy; takeout options for dining; and controlled capacity and required reservations for certain activities. Best of all, though, their rural settings and mountain backdrops feel a world away—and what could be better than that?
This gallery was last published in May 2019. It has been updated with new information. All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Woodloch Pines Resort, Hawley, Pennsylvania
The 160-room Woodloch Pines Resort has provided a woodsy wonderland of kid-primed activities in the Poconos for more than 60 years. Its social distance-ready 300 acres sit on the banks of Lake Teedyuskung, a haven for swimming, boating, and water sports. Robust daily programming is centered on old-fashioned family fun (and as much as possible takes place outdoors, weather permitting), with everything from bingo to bonfires, and scavenger hunts to ”silent DJ” parties (held remotely, all across the property), alongside Woodloch signatures like family “bakery wars,” Olympics-style competitions, and pop-up petting zoos. There’s a laundry list of amenities, too: highlights include an outdoor and indoor pool and splash zone, a brand-new lakeside playground, bumper cars and bumper boats, go-karts, archery, seasonal snow-tubing, mini golf, rock climbing, year-round ice skating, paintball, an escape room, and sports courts galore.
The rooms aren’t glitzy, but they feel welcoming with cozy, country décor; tasty meals are served family-style (with takeout available). Down the road, find an 18-hole championship golf course at Woodloch Springs, and a superb spa (though with scaled-back services) at luxe sister property The Lodge at Woodloch.
Book now: All-inclusive rates start from $164/night, per adult; supplemental kids’ rates from $67 (ages 3 and up); expedia.com. Note the resort’s special dining theme nights and accompanying character appearances, as well as its evening stage shows, are currently on pause; read up on Woodloch’s COVID considerations.
Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz, New York
This Victorian-style castle-resort-and-spa, set on some 40,000 acres within New York’s forested Shawangunk Mountains, has held staying power for more than 150 years—a mainstay of family weekend getaways from NYC. Little wonder, given the 265-room resort’s rich roster of amenities and programming, which include an ice-skating pavilion, tennis courts, nine-hole golf course, show gardens, horse stables, indoor heated pool, and award-winning, nature-inspired spa (with features like a solarium and outdoor heated mineral pool). The property overlooks Lake Mohonk, a playground for seasonal boating, fishing, and swimming, while 85 miles of trails beckon for hiking, mountain biking, snowshoeing, cross-country-skiing, or even guided “forest bathing” sessions. You'll find plenty of gazebos, porches, and balconies scattered across the grounds, while cozy fireplace nooks and homey, antique-strewn rooms are the ideal end-of-day retreat. Rates are all-inclusive, including most activities, three daily meals (including seasonal BBQ cookouts and new to-go options), and afternoon tea and cookies.
New for 2020, the resort is working with local breweries and distilleries to present craft beer and whiskey flights for guests, paired with Hudson Valley-sourced cheeses, meats, and jams (for a supplemental fee). Plus, come December, Mohonk will transform into a Victorian wonderland for the holidays for the first time, complete with festive touches like handmade wreaths, gingerbread houses, and caroling—talk about holiday cheer.
Book now: From $656 for two adults, per night. Supplemental kids’ rates (ages four through 12) start at $130/night; mohonk.com. The drop-off kids’ club has been temporarily closed, and services at the spa are reduced; read more on Mohonk’s COVID considerations.
Skytop Lodge, Skytop, Pennsylvania
This grand 124-room mountain lodge (along with some stand-alone storybook cottages and a newly renovated, upscale, 20-room inn) has been welcoming vacationers to the Poconos since the 1920s. Its elegant Dutch Colonial-style stone manor house is filled with soaring ceilings, stone and wooden accents, crackling fireplaces, and period furnishings that evoke a bygone era. Step outside, and the immense 5,500-acre grounds of forests, lakes, waterfalls, streams, and fresh mountain air beg for little adventurers to get out and explore—go ahead and set them loose on 30 miles of woodland hiking trails, designed to burn off that surplus kid steam. In summer, there’s swimming and an inflatable trampoline park on the lake; in winter, there’s skiing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, ice-skating, and, new for this year, ice fishing—plus, find four tennis courts and an indoor and outdoor pool. Optional activities include a ropes and zip line course, paintball, and rock climbing. There’s also clay shooting, boating, and an 18-hole golf course.
Book now: Rates inclusive of meals and select activities from $429 for two adults; supplemental kids’ rates from $80 (ages 5 to 12); plus an 18 percent service charge. Room-only rates start at $159/night; expedia.com. Note that due to COVID-19, the resort’s drop-off summer kids’ camp, as well as its live weekend evening entertainment, have been discontinued; read up on Skytop’s coronavirus considerations.
Rocking Horse Ranch Resort, Highland, New York
Think you need to head out west for a dude ranch vacation? Think again. Less than a two-hour drive north of New York City, in the foothills of the Shawangunk Mountains, Rocking Horse Ranch has been entertaining urban cowboys—and hosting proper family weekend getaways from NYC—for more than 60 years. The horses (nearly 120 of them) are the main attraction at the Western-themed, kid-centric, 500-acre resort—with everything from horse-drawn wagon and pony rides to advanced trail trots.
Check out the small animal exhibit (expect the likes of camels, zebra, and miniature donkeys); brand-new outdoor pool, hot springs, and waterslide complex; and live shows and entertainment (like bonfire sing-alongs and magic shows). Summer sees water sports on the lake, while winter is popular for snow-tubing and horse-drawn sleigh rides. All-inclusive pricing factors in accommodations in the rustic 113-room lodge; three meals led by Culinary Institute of America alumni, with favorites like BBQ beef brisket and horseradish-crusted salmon (plus an afternoon snack and complimentary drinks); and all resort activities, including unlimited horseback riding.
Book now: Rates from $399/night for a family of four (plus a resort fee of 15 percent of the nightly rate); rockinghorseranch.com. Note the resort’s spa and “Fun Barn” (an indoor activity center) is currently closed, as is its drop-off day camp; read up on Rocking Horse Ranch’s COVID considerations.
Matt Kosterman/Courtesy Kalahari ResortsKalahari Resorts Poconos, Pocono Manor, Pennsylvania
The bigger-is-better set can beeline for the five-year-old Kalahari Resorts Poconos (a spin-off of an expanding Wisconsin Dells-based brand), so named for the Kalahari Desert. Touting a scale of epic proportions, the resort has nearly 1,000 rooms (including a unit that can house 22 guests) and a cavernous indoor water park; at 220,000 square feet and set under a massive, climate-controlled dome, it’s America’s largest (at least until a new Kalahari Resorts Texas location opens in mid-November, which will outsize it). Dive into the aquatic adventure-land—kept at 84 degrees year-round—with features like a wave pool, lazy river, surf simulator, 32 wild waterslides, or, new for 2020, an underwater virtual reality experience (courtesy of waterproof VR headsets and masks). Plus, find age-appropriate retreats, from a toddlers’ splash zone to an adults-only swim-up bar. Note that water park occupancy is limited to 50 percent capacity, and social distancing throughout the park is enforced; chairs and loungers are spread out and sanitized frequently.
Beyond the water park, a massive arcade has games, escape rooms, virtual reality experiences, bowling, and laser tag, while seasonal outdoor pursuits include a water park extension and a ropes course, mini golf, and zip-lining. A spa offering hydrotherapy and halotherapy (with a junior spa space for kids ages three to nine) and 17 on-site bars and restaurants make the case for an overnight stay. Granted, indoor entertainment isn't everybody’s speed during the COVID-era, so if you’re not quite ready for this type of experience, consider bookmarking the resort for a visit in late 2021—or beyond.
Book now: Rates from $179/room, plus a $40/nightly resort fee; kalahariresorts.com/pennsylvania. Note the resort’s kids’ club is temporarily closed, and signature offerings like mermaid and shark swim lessons are on pause; read up on Kalahari’s COVID considerations.
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